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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON L. THOMSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

RIVET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,700, dated January5, 1886.

Application filed November 13, 1885. Serial No. 182,695.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JUDsoN L. THoMsoN, of Syracuse. in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Rivets, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of rivets which are converted intoclinching-nails by a bifurcation of the shank, producingpliableclinchingprougs which are readily bent over to fasten the rivet to thearticle to which it is to be applied.

The invention consists in an improved construction of the clinchingprongs, whereby they receive, first, a broad bearing and thus a moresecure hold on the material on which the prongs are clinched; secondly,a gradual taper from end to end, so that the iiexibility is graduallyincreased toward their free ends, and thus the main portions of saidprongs have the requisite stability to pass through the material towhich the rivet is to be applied Without bending in either direction,while the end portions of the prongs are sufiiciently pliable to beclinched; and, thirdly, said prongs are furnished with broadchiselpoints which readily penetrate the material and at the same timepresent wedging-faces, which by the resistance of the material canse theends of the prongs to bend over and back into the material.

My invention is fully illustrated in the anneXed drawings, whereinFigures I, II, and III are side views of my improved rivet, taken at theedges of the prongs. Fig. IV is a side view taken at the iatside of theprongs. Fig. V is a transverse section on line w w, and Figs. VI and VIIshow the rivet clinched to the article to which it is applied.

h represents the head of the rivet, and ci a are the twoclinching-prongs, each of which I iiatten on opposite sides and arrangewith its flat sides directly opposite those of the other prong and witha space, b, between them. Said prongs I taper throughout their lengthina plane at right angles to the flat sides. The taper may be eitherwholly on the inner side, as shown in Fig. I of the drawings, or

(No model.)

wholly on the other side, as shown in Fig. III of the drawings, orpartly on the inner and outer sides, as represented in Fig. II of thedrawings. Either construction will serve to gradually increase theiiexibity of the prongs toward the free ends thereof, and at the same Iprocess of forcing them through the article to which the rivet isapplied, as illustrated in Fig. VII of the drawings. The saidchiselpoints present broad wedging-faces which produce the aforesaidautomatic clinching ofthe prongs. The intermediate space, b, leaves thematerial between the two prongs intact, and thus greatly preserves theintegrity of the article to which the rivet is applied and strengthensthe hold of the rivet, which hold is further insured by the :flatteningof the prongs.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is*

1. A rivet having clinching -prongs each ilattened on opposite sides andarranged with its iiat sides directly-opposite those of the other,with aspace between them, as set forth and shown.

2. A rivet having clinching-prongs each iiattened on opposite sides andarranged with its iiat sides directly opposite those of the other, andtapered throughout its length in a plane at right angles to the iiatsides, substantially as described and shown.

3. A rivet having clinching-prongs each iiattened on opposite sides andarranged with its fiat sides directly opposite those of the other, andbeveled to a broad chisel-point at the free end, substantially asdescribed and shown.

4. A rivet having clinching-prongs each flattened on opposite sides andarranged with IOO .2 Y ssfloo its flat sides directly opposite those ofthe other, with a space between them, and tapered throughout its lengthand beveled to a broad chisel-point at the free end, substantially inthe manner specified and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name land affixed myseal, in the presence of two attestingg` witnesses, at Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 10th day of November,1885.

JUDSON L. THOMSON. Witnesses:

F. H. GIBBS, C. H. DUELL.

